The document provides guidance on writing effective funding proposals. It discusses the fundraising cycle and outlines key steps in the proposal writing process, including planning, components of the proposal, and donor management. The presentation is divided into three sections: planning before writing, writing the proposal, and follow-up with donors. It provides details on each section of an effective proposal, such as the needs statement, objectives, activities, budget, and evaluation plan. The goal is to help organizations understand donor priorities and clearly communicate how their project will address an issue and achieve impact.

1. South African Extraordinary Schools Coalition
Writing effective Proposals: 4 February 2014

2. The Fundraising Cycle
• Proposal and
application
writing
• Maintaining
relationships and
donor reporting
• Building
relationships
•Identifying suitable
funders and researching
their focus interests and
funding process
Prospecting Cultivation
SolicitationStewardship

3. This presentation will be divided into three sections:
 Planning: What you do before you write
 Writing the proposal
 Follow-up: Donor management
Presentation Overview

4. Before you begin….
Know why and for whom you are writing the proposal:
 Understand the donor:
 Closely aligned funding priorities to your organisation’s mission and activities
 Eligibility criteria which your organisation meets
 Personal contact with, if possible, a senior member of the agency
 The size of grant offered and grant management conditions are suitable for your
project and management capacity.
 Know yourself:
 Who you are, what your identity is and your strengths and weaknesses
 Your track record (what you have achieved)
 Who are your core beneficiaries, and what impact have you made (data needed)
 Have a clear project plan and design:
 Know the context: the problem the project aims to address & what is causing it
 The impact you want to achieve through this project
 The outcomes of the project i.e. the results or changes
 The objectives of the project: what the project aims to deliver
 The process intended to achieve the objectives
 The resources that are needed to achieve the objectives

5. Proposal Components
 Proposal summary
 Needs statement
 Organisation overview
 Impact of the project
 Outcomes / objectives of the project
 Description of the activities / process including the methodology
you plan to use
 Monitoring and evaluation
 Project plan
 Budget
 Conclusion
 Supplementary information

6. Proposal Summary
Capture the essence of the project by briefly stating:
 What the current context or situation is
 How your organisation will address the problem using its expertise
 Why this is a good way to go
 Who the main beneficiaries will be
 What impact will be achieved
 The time period envisaged
 The overall cost

7. Needs statement
 Your proposal should start with a needs statement / context
 Be concise and specific
 Draw out the key problems which are aligned to the donor’s priorities
 Back this up with statistics, preferably comparing your target group/area
with others.
 State the link between the problem and the work of the organisation e.g.
the problem of the low matric pass rate is directly related to poor
teaching, hence the need for teacher training.

8. Organisation Overview
 Some background – when the organisation was set up, by whom
and why
 The mission, vision and overall activities
 What the organisation has achieved (that is directly related to the
problem described above and the donor’s priorities)
 What expertise, skills and experience the main people in the
organisation have and particularly those who are implementing the
project

9. Impact of the Project
 The general aim is the impact that you are striving to achieve
through this project - it will not be achieved in the lifetime of the
project
 Your project only contributes towards achieving the goal/aim
 Should be aligned to your own mission statements and in line with
the priorities of the donor
 In terms of time, it will take longer to achieve the goal than the
specific objectives
Impact
Go on to tertiary studies, have
a career, have a fulfilling life
and be a good parent,
community leader, role model
Activities
School activities:
classes, study
sessions, extra
lessons, etc.
Outcomes
Students achieve a
Bachelor pass matric

10. Objectives, activities, Indicators, Targets
Strategic
Objective
Activities Indicator for
monitoring
and evaluation
Target for
2014/2015
Target for
2015/2016
1. To support
and facilitate
collaboration
among
education
stakeholders to
link and spread
successful
practice.
Convene and
support
community of
practice meetings
that focus on key
strategic areas
within the
education sector.
1) Number of
community of
practice meetings
2) Number of
organisations
represented at
community of
practice meetings
3) Number of
people attending
community of
practice meetings
1) 60 community
of practice
meetings held
2) 650
organisations
represented at
community of
practice meetings
3) 1,300 people
attending
community of
practice meetings
1) 60 community
of practice
meetings held
2) 800
organisations
represented at
community of
practice meetings
3) 1,600 people
attending
community of
practice meetings

11. Outcomes or Objectives
 Limit the Objectives/Outcomes to 4 or 5
 Make them SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic,
Timebound)
 Create a clear link between the achievement of outcomes and the
general aim
 When writing your outcomes/objectives you should consider how
they can be measured i.e. indicators for monitoring and evaluation
 Do not promise the impossible, consider your capacity to deliver
carefully.

12. Activities/Process
 Activities should be very specific and state the exact process you
will go through to achieve the objectives.
 You may wish to detail your activities under each objective to show
a clear pathway to achieving the outcomes.
 You could include your specific outputs from each of your activities
e.g. numbers of young people who will receive after-hours tutoring
 Your activities and timeframes can be given in Activity Matrix/
Gannt Chart
 Should be directly related to the operational budget

13. Methodology
This section should include your approach
 What specific methods you will use, for instance your training
techniques
 Partnerships, how you will gain consent to work in the school and
other ethical considerations
 Process for community/beneficiary participation i.e. teachers
 Who will be involved - staff, project management team, teachers
 How the project will be managed and who will be accountable for
project outcomes and finances.

14. Monitoring and evaluation
 How will you report on the progress of activities and objectives?
 What objectively verifiable indicators can you use to assess your
progress?
 How will you evaluate the impact of the project on the beneficiaries
and how will they be involved in the process?

15. Project Plan/Matrix
A detailed project plan (if required) should include:
 Specific activities
 Specific timelines
 Outputs for each step
 Resources needed for each step
 People responsible (optional)

16. Budget
 The budget should be clear and easy to understand
 It should include all elements of the project, including a proportion
of overhead costs
 If the funder is being asked to fund a proportion of the costs this
should be clearly indicated
 Do not provide detail that has not specifically been asked for as you
will have to report against each line item.

17. Conclusion
Briefly conclude the proposal and state what you are requesting from
the funder and why.
 Why the project is necessary
 Why yours is the right organisation to undertake the project
 Why the donor should consider the proposal, from its own point of
view
 What outcomes could be achieved

18. Additional extras and appendices
Appendices: depending on what you have been asked for these could
include:
 Annual reports
 Audited financial statements
 Evaluation reports
 Photographs
 Stories from beneficiaries
 Bibliography and references to back up facts

19. Donor Management
Go the extra mile…
 Before the proposal submission stage, build relationships with core
staff by making personal contact and sending information on your
projects which are in line with their priorities.
 Should you not receive a response, follow-up on your proposal.
 Be available for meetings, organise trips/project visits, facilitate
meetings with beneficiaries and be available to answer questions.
 Send the donor relevant information which may interest them and
invite them to events, meetings and ask for their input (when
appropriate).
 If you are successful acknowledge the donor’s commitment, be
compliant with all their requirements and be prompt in your response
 During your funding relationship ask the donor for feedback on your
engagement.

20. And remember...
It’s all about the students!